George Heaney of Sunrise models and transfers has announced that he in intends to produce a resin kit of a GNR Gardner bus. It will be based on the earliest version from 1938 many of these lasted well into the 1950's. This will be quite a departure for George as all of his kits to date have been based on buses popular with Scottish operators. If he gets enough advance orders he aims to get the kit released this year, around October if possible, so that it can be on sale at the South Dublin model railway exhibition on the bank holiday weekend. Georges models are produced to a very high standard, they are all mastered by Jim Poots master maker so quality is assured. George can be contacted at 12 Morton Gardens, Pollokshields, Glasgow, G41 4AF. Tel. number is 01414234328 or by email admin@sunrisetransfers.com
Hopefully this will be a very successfull model appealing to both bus and the large number of GNR(I) railway modellers. A small number of these buses passed to other small operators after service with the GNR. The Sligo Leitrim and Northern Counties railway had some, one of which ended up with Erne bus service in Co Leitrim. I have been told that OS Coaches had one but maybe someone else can confirm this.
If this model sells well we may be able to persuade George to build the other main varients of the Gardner, most of which survived to see CIE service and carried a variety of liveries, even the CIE Tours primrose yellow and grey.
Danny